Ketones and neuro-degenerative diseases

[Roadstr]

I was doing some research on coconut oil and came across this article on the benefits of how the medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil are broken down into ketones and this article (http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article879333.ece) tells the story on how it helped an individual with Alzheimers.
Another article (http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDiseaseDrMaryNewport.pdf) on the subject.

Apparently ketones are beneficial for the brain as fuel in ways that were previously unknown. The first article mentions research on the benefits of ketones for soldiers in severe conditions. Not sure where that's going, but interesting.

While thinking about this... I know, dangerous :confused: ... I have a question on a possible benefit of coconut oil to those on an LC diet. Would adding coconut oil to the diet speed the process of producing the enzymes needed for the pathways that convert fats to ketones and thus reduce the 2 weeks that is generally needed to feel comfortable to use ketones as fuels? That seems logical to me because MCT's are metabolized directly into ketones. This was my reason for researching coconut oil in the first place when I learned about the protective aspect of coconut oil on nero-degenerative diseases.
Thanks

[Jake]

I don't know about the enzymes, but it does produce more ketones that reduce the harm done to your diet by carbs.

[Mackay Rippey]

There have been studies treating alzheimer's with 100% medium chain triglycerides.

Check out this interview with brain expert Dr. Larry McCleary (http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/neurologist-dr-larry-mccleary-healthy-brain-foods-type-iii-diabetes-episode-229/)

[André]

When your ketone-producing-machinery is not yet working up to speed, waking up can be a bit slow. Having a scoop of coconut oil sends extra ketones to the brain very quickly. So yes, it may help.

[ellenwyo]

I was doing some research on coconut oil and came across this article on the benefits of how the medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil are broken down into ketones and this article (http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article879333.ece) tells the story on how it helped an individual with Alzheimers.
Another article (http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDiseaseDrMaryNewport.pdf) on the subject.

Apparently ketones are beneficial for the brain as fuel in ways that were previously unknown. The first article mentions research on the benefits of ketones for soldiers in severe conditions. Not sure where that's going, but interesting.

While thinking about this... I know, dangerous :confused: ... I have a question on a possible benefit of coconut oil to those on an LC diet. Would adding coconut oil to the diet speed the process of producing the enzymes needed for the pathways that convert fats to ketones and thus reduce the 2 weeks that is generally needed to feel comfortable to use ketones as fuels? That seems logical to me because MCT's are metabolized directly into ketones. This was my reason for researching coconut oil in the first place when I learned about the protective aspect of coconut oil on nero-degenerative diseases.
Thanks

Just an FYI, On another low carb forum, a poster talked about having a "high Ketosis reaction, similar to a hypoglycemic reaction after adding MCTs to her low carb regime.

quote: "I think that you had a reaction to high ketosis. I have never seen this addressed but I believe that if you should go into acute ketosis (sudden onset ketosis) your body will react in a similar manner to hypoglycemia. Simply because your body isn't used to having such a high amount of ketones. That happened to me after drinking several cups of coffee spike with cream and MCT oil. I know that MCT will put you into ketosis quickly. It passed quickly without any help from me except a little walk down the hall."

[mcarr36]

Coconut oil really does speed up the fat burning and ups the ketones. I have been trying to lose the last few pounds for years (been low carbing for 7 years) and using coconut oil bark (made it myself) for the last 3 days did the trick! Amazing!

[Frank Hagan]

Coconut oil really does speed up the fat burning and ups the ketones. I have been trying to lose the last few pounds for years (been low carbing for 7 years) and using coconut oil bark (made it myself) for the last 3 days did the trick! Amazing!

How do you make coconut oil bark?

[razgarcia]

mcarr36, I, too, am a big fan of coconut oil. I buy organic, extra virgin coconut oil and mix 2 Tbs with my morning protein shake. I am curious as to what you mean by "bark" and how you go about processing it yourself.

Thank you.

[Frank Hagan]

And ... do you get the same benefit if you buy a coconut and eat it?

[mcsblues]

The google thing ;)

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=351493&page=1&pp=15

Not that I suggest you stay there (I gave up on 'them' years ago) ... stay here!!

[mcarr36]

Here is the basic recipe I use for coconut oil bark:

8 Tablespoons Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Heaping Tablespoon Dark Cocoa Powder (I use Hersey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder)
2 Tablespoons Organic smooth Peanut Butter (optional)
16 drops liquid stevia (can use Splenda)
Handful of crushed raw walnuts or almonds (optional)

Mix the Coconut oil with the cocoa in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Add the Peanut butter and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the stevia and nuts. If you like, you might want to add a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes in place of the nuts. Pour the mixture in a small baking dish or pie pan. Freeze for 1 hour. Cut or brake the bark into small pieces. Store in a ziplock baggie or tupperware in the freezer. This "candy" is delicious right from the freezer. Enjoy!!

[Benay]

mcarr36: You say you can use splenda for the coconut oil bark. How much do you use? If it's liquid. If it's powder.

[amdawson]

i just used the last recipe above and they turned out great. i have these stupid little useless ice trays (similar to these (http://www.amazon.com/SiliconeZone-Set-Bottle-Tray-Blue/dp/B000MU2QQO)) designed for marking long narrow ice cubes to go into water bottles. i poured the "batter" into these and they froze up quickly. and now i have single serving pieces. next time i will have chocolate-peanut butter flavored ice :-)

one comment though -- i added the optional creamy natural peanut butter, and the PB taste kind of overwhelmed the chocolate taste in the final bark. next time i will use more chocolate.

oh, and i used 2 packets of stevia in the raw. not overwhelmingly sweet but plenty sweet enough.

do you think adding some unsweetened chocolate almond breeze would improve the recipe?

[amdawson]

yikes, watch out for the coconut bark if you are like me and have very little will power. easy to eat a lot of it.

[Benay]

This is wonderful and an easy way to get in the coconut oil. And it can easily become addictive.

[mcarr36]

Basic Coconut Bark Recipe

8 T Melted Coconut Oil
2 T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Stevia or Splenda (to taste)

Mix together and pour into baking pan. Freeze 1 hour and brake or cut into pieces.
Store in the freezer. This bark will melt in your mouth and is delicious.
I like to add 2 T of Peanut Butter and or chopped nuts. Also, Coconut Flakes are perfect to mix in. Experiment and have fun. You will love this!!!

[Sharvo]

Does the bark travel? ie will it stay solid long for an hour til it gets frm the home freezer to the work freezer? I'm guessing not on a hot day.

I don't have many days when I have enough free calories to eat a snack of oil (a slight calorie deficit is part of my PP).

A company called Premier Organics in Berkeley makes a tasty Artisana Coconut Butter (raw organic coconut oil & ground coconut). I've been thinking of how to use it - this might be a starting point. The Cocnut Butter is not free carb-wise - about 2 Tbsp = 7g total w/ 5g fibre so net 2g. The Butter is a good source of potassium too - I'm always looking for that to help keep the BP down.

Good health,
Sharvo

[mcarr36]

I have not tried to travel with the bark. Coconut oil is liquid at 76 degrees. I would keep it in a little cooler with ice for travel. I have made the recipe with 10 drops of stevia or 4 packs of splenda. I like it a little sweet. If I add a tablespoon of coconut oil to my morning coffee I notice a big energy boost. I also cook my eggs in it. I will have to ups my carbs a bit or cut down on the coconut oil because I am now a bit under my goal weight. I can hardly believe it. I have been on the coconut oil for 12 days and I lost my last few pounds with ease using the oil. I wonder what took me so many years to add this to my diet?

[Sharvo]

I wonder what took me so many years to add this to my diet?
Well, it's certainly counter-intuitive.

I'm still not convinced I could supplement my diet with additional calories and lose additional weight. Is that what you're suggesting? Did the coconut oil replace something else?

I'm just guessing you're trying coconut oil frm reading Mary Enig's book; she may be a good scientist but her meal plans were too much of change with too little supporting documentation that it actually benefits. Plus some of the foods are just too bizarre for me; like Kombuha. I had a friend who kept a gallon jar on her frig with one of those growing and would drink the liquid. Looked like pond water to me. No thanks.

Good health,
Sharvo

[deirdra]

Well, it's certainly counter-intuitive. I'm still not convinced I could supplement my diet with additional calories and lose additional weight. Is that what you're suggesting?I never thought it would work, but I had tried everything else, so I added 300 extra cals of CO (1450 up to 1750, while staying under 30g carbs/day) and that got me out of a 6-month stall and on to losing 0.75-1 lb a week consistently until I hit goal; now I maintain on ~1900 cals on vLC/vHF (on high carbs I gain if I eat more than 1200). The only explanation I can think of is that vLC/vHF normalized my slothful metabolism, but YMMV.

[mcarr36]

No, I did not read Mary Enig's book. I found out about coconut oil from a post on this forum. I did replace butter with coconut oil for frying eggs. The other coconut oil in my diet is additional calories. I did supplement my diet with additional calories and I did lose weight. Happened fast. I use it in my morning coffee and I can feel it. My temperature goes up. I sweat a little. Energy boost is amazing. I know it is hard to believe. I was leary about trying it too. However, I had been at a stall for years and had just a few pounds I wanted to lose. It is worth a try.

[Sharvo]

Wow. You guys are persuasive. I'll give it a try. I'm usually a little lite on calories a couple days a week - I'll try topping up with it to start.

Good health,
Sharvo

[amdawson]

threw some coconut oil in my coffee today. i'll see if i notice a difference. i'm at a stubborn spot in my weight loss right now so let's see if this helps.

[Frank Hagan]

How much coconut oil do you put in a cup of coffee?

I found some finally, and made coconut oil bark (hmmm, good). But I only have a bit each night. Don't know how fast I should start using it; people have mentioned certain spontaneous and exciting "events" when you take too much at once!

[amdawson]

a tablespoon. .

[mcarr36]

One tablespoon 3x a day. Before meals. Also, it makes great salad dressing and is yummy poured over steamed veges.

[Sharvo]

I tried the bark with the Coconut Butter instead of the oil & a little less than 2 tsp Splenda. Suprisingly good - not too sweet. I mixed it up the night before and put it in a quart sized zip baggie and laid it more or less flat in the freezer. Got up in the morning, busted it up and put 30 gm in another baggie. It was a cool morning so didn't go melty on the way to work. Only mistake was not putting it in the freezer at work and that's only because if I took the whole baggie to my desk, by the time I got around to nibbling the last of it, it was starting to go a little messy on the fingers (not good for the keyboard). I think this is a snack best enjoyed in small amounts straight frm the freezer.

35gm w/just coconut butter, cocoa and Splenda in proportions given above worked out to:
193cal
2.5g protein
9 total carb
6 total fibre
3 ECC
18.4g total fat
18g total sat fat (in case anyone's counting)
195g potassium
10g sodium

And no cravings and no nasty sugar alcohol side effects.

Thanks for the tip!

Sharvo

[Desmondo]

It is much easier to make (a) dog bark than coco-nut.

Soooo get a pooch!

(Smile & the world smiles with you . . . . )

[S Bear]

I like almond bark made with coconut oil, although it tends to give me a strong buzz.

But coconut oil in my coffee? I dunno. That's getting a little weird.

[nougat]

can i use coconut milk/cream instead of oil? i can't find the latter anywhere in the shops.

[deirdra]

But coconut oil in my coffee? I dunno. That's getting a little weird.As one person mentioned, it is like drinking coffee & putting on Chapstick at the same time. Personally 1/2 tsp is the most CO I can tolerate in my coffee at one time but I prefer 1/2 tsp of heavy cream instead since it gives the coffee more body.

[gitfiddle]

As one person mentioned, it is like drinking coffee & putting on Chapstick at the same time. :lol: Oh, Deirdra, I agree with that statement entirely! :p I've been drinking my coffee black since 6WC and saving the cream for a bowl of berries once in a while. I'm planning to make the coconut almond brittle, but haven't got around to it yet.